SaltySnack

1. Strawn's Eat Shop - on Kings Highway across from Centenary College -great icebox pies. coconut, chocolate, strawberry. they also have a good breakfast and a meat and three lunch. Strawn's Too is located off Youree Drive and East 70th near Target if you are in that area. 2. Jacquelyn's - lunch place only on Jordan Street at the edge of downtown. I love their crabmeat salad, the soups are good as well. 3. Superior Grill - Mexican, been there for years, always packed. the house margaritas are overpriced but the top-shelf ones are pretty good, most people i know order fajitas or the puffy crispy taco or the superior salad, beef is better than chicken. 4. Superior Steakhouse - Pierremont and LIne Avenue. their lunch is great. dinner tends to be more expensive. and it is one of the few places in town to hang out at the bar ot get a drink. 5. Chianti - Italian restaurant. if you like fish get the snapper albert 6. Two Johns - in Bossier - people are raving about this place htat's new, i have yet to go there. if you are going to be in Bossier, i may be able to give you a few more recommendations. 7. Counter culture - yogurt stand across from Centenary (there's also one on line avenue) kind of like Pinkberry, get the Humphrey yogurt with three types of fresh fruit, granola and honey That's it off the top of my head, if I think of more will repost. Also, if you are alone and want a little company, PM me and maybe we could meet up.

When I went to Jean-Georges a number a years ago, they had no problem accomodating my dietary requests. The server asked before we ordered the tasting menu if any of us had any sensitivities an allergies, and all mine were accomodated with no problem and no notice. I do not eat citrus, but can usually tolerate cooked citrus and when I tried a bite of something served to my boyfriend that had citrus in it, the server, not our waiter noticed me taking a bite cautioned me that it had citrus in it. Note, I took a bite without the citrus sauce so felt secure in trying a taste. What I'm trying to say is that I was extremely impressed that not just the waiter, but everyone who was serving our table knew of my food restrictions. I am also sure that at all times, they have a vegetarian tasting menu and could with no problem accomodate your wife not eating meat.

What about Carmine's on the UWS. It's Italian, known for its large portion sizes and a family style meal. Casual but with a big city country Italian feel. Or what about Calle Ocho for Latin American (close to mexican) or Compass for American food. All on the UWS. I suggest going to Open Table and looking at their list of restaurants that accommodate large sizes and looking at menus, locations and price ranges, that may help you find a restaurant.

In East Texas, there's a small local chain of barbeque restaurants called Bodacious but I don't know if they have made it north to the Texarkana area. Bodacious barbeque is pretty damn good even if it's not the mecca of central Texas barbeque. I would skip barbeque in shreveport and go for seafood, italian, or Tex-Mex at Superior Mexican Grill. And if you're going through Natchitoches you have to have a Natchitoches meat pie. And then there's someplace that people stop for pie going to Baton Rouge. Lee's pies? I don't know, My family goes west along I-20 to Texas not south.

It's been two years since I've been there, but Jean Georges was the best meal I have ever had. I thought the waiters were attentive without overdoing it, the food was excellent and they accommodated all my food sensitivities with no advance notice. It was just a fabulous meal. And for other info. I really dislike 11 Madison Park. I know it has its ardent fans, but I think the room is cold. The night I was there, the waiter disappeared at the end of the meal and no one was around and we could not get the check. My extreme dislike of the restaurant must be viewed though in light of the fact that I ate there when the restaurant was between pastry chefs, and there was not one dessert on the menu I could eat. Really either all citrus or all chocolate desserts? Nothing else? And again my visit to the restaurant was a while back, but that's not going to change because I am never going back. Alas, I have never made it to Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

The diner at the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia. I'm sure it has an official name, but it's a historic location, with a beautiful setting, great view and made to order grill. It's outside of security, but entering the diner makes you feel that you've stepped back in time to the grand era of travel.

Betty Crocker has just released gluten free cake mixes. I've only tried the vanilla, and no, it's not a regular cake like you think of it and only enough for one layer, but to someone who is gluten free, any kind of baked good, when you can't have them is just delicious. After getting used to the heaviness of the vanilla cake, I actually really like it. Just like anything, your tastebuds adapt to the taste of gluten free baked goods and your in-laws who are gluten free may think whatever you fix is much better than you who are used to cakes made with flour think. But in any case, I think a chocolate flourless cake is a great idea.

Rye is not gluten free.

landmarc in the Time Warner Center?

Somewhere in some closet is a fantastic picture of my college roommate, her boyfriend and myself sitting in the middle of a trash strewn street eating fresh Popeye's fried chicken after a Mardi Gras parade. Being from North LA we know about Popeye, but that fresh fried chicken on that street corner remains one of the definitive food memories of my life.

She was on the Martha Stewart show today making a cocktail. I didn't pay attention to the name of the drink, but apparently she collect old cocktail books, nor did I look for the info on the marthastewart website. I just thought the timing was funny as I would have never paid attention to the Martha Stewart show while it was on in the background today if I hadn't noticed the topic on egullet.

Isn't it also possible to DART to SMU, well across central expressway. But doesn't the DART end up in a shopping area? Mockinbird Station? Where i've eaten in a pretty good fish restaurant, Rockfish? and if you had a little time you could walk to SMU, 2or 3 blocks to the new Meadows Museum.

I thought I'd heard they have a private room downstairs. The same with the Smith. Opentable has a list of private rooms and I don't think all of the restaurants necessarily belong to Open Table. May be worth a quick look.

What about The Smith or Jane?

I had dinner at The Smith recently and their private room is downstairs. I think Jane may be the same way. I don't know about 90 year olds walking down the stairs and the Smith attracts a young crowd and was very loud. Perhaps it is quieter in the private room.

I've heard that Barney Greengrass has great chopped liver. Haven't tried it personally, so I can't give any more info.

My boyfriend and I joke that every time we go out for dinner it is $110. Doesn't matter what kind of restaurant, how little or how much food we order, $110. However, even that may be creeping up a bit to $120. I haven't noticed the particular prices of appetizers and entrees mainly because we have been trying to limit nights out and utilize more of the Greenmarkets ourselves. Cause and effect?

I had late lunch/dinner here a week or two ago and was actually very surprised at how good the food was. Granted I only ordered the skirt steak salad, but the meat was cooked perfectly and very flavorful. The other people with me ordered the french onion soup and the burger and then maybe the hangar steak, not actually sure what kind of steak the person ordered. They both seemed very happy with their meal. No drinks and our server was very spacy especially on the refills. We also never received any bread, and we saw the table next to us get bread.

I would second that opinion. I find it heavy, masculine, boring and not welcoming.

Westville - while most of the menu is not vegetarian. They do have a long, long list of daily market sides which one could combine differently and eat happily for days.

If I don't make the Union Square Greenmarket early enough in the day or on an off day, I like to go to (is it?) The Lobster Place on Bleecker next to Murray's Cheese. I think there's been a long thread on this topic on chowhound. You might want to search there.

I will have to say I was in Balthazar yesterday buying bread which I really like, and they had more selection of other desserts items which looked very good. I am not a patisserie person. I also popped in Ceci-Cela which is down the street across Lafayette and across the street. They also looked good. But a croissant is never going to be my pastry of choice. If you are looking for more american type sweets two other recommendations for thought. Birdbath Bakery 13th and 1st (I think) It's the bakery portion of City Bakery. and then there's the new treats truck www.treatstruck.com you could check out its schedule and see if it will be anywhere near where you will be on the weekend you are in town.

Cakes and Bakeries: in the East village: Blackhound Bakery- 2nd ave between 10th and 11th. Veneiro's Bakery - old New York institution. Open late, cookies and pastries east 11th and 1st ave. don't overlook the Union Square Farmers Market on Saturday if you are in the area, there are numerous stalls selling baked goods. there's also a patisserie in the northwest corner of the square. There's also Le Pain Quodotidien (or however you spell it) who sells baked goods. if you venture to Otto for the Olive Oil Gelato, there's a 'wichcraft down the street which sells creamwhich cookies and maybe other treats. at 8th and Broadway. in the other direction there's Citarella 10th Street at 6th Ave. there may be some other bakeries off of Bleecker nearer to Lupa. and other places in the East village. Please report back on your trip and what you find.

Baked goods at Balthazar are fair not earthshattering. Never had CecicCela so I can't comment. If you are in SoHo you might also want to pop in Dean & Deluca, they have a huge dessert counter. But be forewarned, I am not sure they have the highest turnover so sometimes things are not the freshest, but they are beautiful. The last time I was in which was a few months ago (or maybe longer) they had one girl bakery cookies from brooklyn and a lot of other stuff from other local new york bakeries all in one location. Plus, it really is a beautiful store and worth wandering through for a few minutes. and don't forget about going to WD-50 for dessert if you are into sweets. The desserts there are very unusual and excellent and different. It won't be your standard New York Cheescake, but will be a New York cheescake deconstructed and made from ingredients you've never heard of and presented in unusual ways. Totally worth it. Oh and you may want to consider Chikalicious for dessert. I've never been because the hours are unusual and when they are open the line can be longish, but it is supposed to be great. It's near both Momofukus. But I am pretty sure it isn't open on Sundays. Make sure you check out their hours before venturing over to it. Lastly, Alta is on West 10th streets just off of 6th avenue. to whomever said it wasn't, maybe you are thinking of Las Ramblas.

Alta is one of my favorite restaurants. It's in an old townhouse and can be a little bit hard to find as it is underground so look for it. It's warm and inviting, the food is good, the sangria is good as well. Space your order of food if you decide to go there because sometimes the food comes out all at once and your meal can feel a little rushed. but a definite recommend. Frank is cash only and very crowded and loud. But I tend to like it. Le Zie can also be very close. and I like the Little Pie company for desserts if you are in Grand Central, I'm sure others can suggest many other places to pick up something sweet to eat.